Tell me why
by Bluesunkatsuri
Summary: He had never done this before, visit someone in an asylum. Never. Until today.


**Hi there~!**

**I just had the urge to write something else than The Fantasy today, and this popped into my head, so... yeah. I wrote it down.**

**Oh yeah, the story, it's pretty much like an AMV I'm working on -L and B, with the song How You Remind Me by Nickelsback. I'm gonna post a preivew for it on youtube soon, and then I'll place a link on my profile, as well. (just one warning- it's all animated by myself, and I'm -though improving- still not too great at drawing humans with a laptop yet. If only I had a tablet...)**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Death Note or Death Note; Another Note.**

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He had never done this before, visit someone in an asylum. Not if it wasn't necessary for a case, that is. Never.

Until today.

Anxiously, he walked down the dark, bare corridor, surrounded by cold walls with the ocassional door in them, which had only one, ridiculously small window and bars in front of them. Ofcourse, he was being escorted by guards as he was heading toward his destination. That was only for security reasons, and very good reasons at that. After all, only the worst mentally-ill criminals were placed in an asylum. Except for one person.

His mind was just fine, his brain capable of more than the avarage surgent's. Why he was placed in here was obvious, though. He was a genius, something they couldn't handle in a normal prison. Not yet. He was in here to be broken slowly, until there was nothing left of his ego, not one sane thought left in his head, not a trace of the person he used to be. The intention was to do just that, and perhaps, it would make him less dangerous, as well. Make him feel like a cornered animal, a piece of prey surrounded by predators, frozen with fear, incapable of even _thinking_ of fleeing.

It was sick, nothing less, and nothing more. Just incredibly _sick_.

But not even he could change it. That was just how they worked in this place, and the government thought it was fine. The corrupted, evil, sick bastards that were in charge of leading this country, of leading the world. If only people knew what went on in places like this, everyone would get a whole new view of their precious _leaders._

They were all sick, being willing to break a mind as great as that one prisoner's. Then again, that particular prisoner had thrown everything he was and could have been away, as if it was nothing, as if it didn't matter.

Only, it _did._ More than he would ever know.

They arrived at one of the many doors, when the guards stopped. 'This is it, mr. Ryuzaki.' One of the two said. 'As you requested, we'll stay outside. However, should we hear even _one_ thing that's out of the ordinary, we'll have to come in. Safety is not something to be taken lightly, to be ignored.'

'I understand. Thank you, sir.'

The other guards had opened the door now, and stood aside to let Ryuzaki in. Said man hesitated briefly, though, as he saw the one prisoner he had come for. The young man sat on a chair at an empty table, his hands and feet chained to the floor, unabling him of moving anything else than his head. Taking a deep breath, Ryuzaki, also known as the detective, L, went inside. As the door closed behind him, he couldn't help but feel a shiver go down his spine briefly. Then he just shook his head, and slowly sat down on the chair opposite to the prisoner, who didn't even look up.

'B..' Was the only thing L could bring out right now. Oh, really! He was the world's best detective, he had seen more crime than anyone could ever imagine, he's had guns against his head, knives against his throat and everything you can come up with and more, but he was too nervous to even really speak to his old friend, his former successor.

B, Beyond Birthday, didn't answer. He didn't look up, either. Not a single twitch in his body that revealed if he had even heard his visitor.

L stared at him for a moment, getting more nervous with the second, and repeated: 'B...Beyond, just look at me. Just...' His voice trailed off, and he completely forgot what he had wanted to say.

But at hearing his real name, Beyond looked up. A bit. He tilted his face far enough up to be able to look at L, but his eyes were still hidden behind strands of greasy, raven black hair. But the little that was visible of them was red, and shone with a mixture of hate and regret. Something that made L feel sick. He just lowered his gaze now, not wanting to look at those scarlet eyes that burned into him, and closed his eyes. And then silence fell in the small, bare room.

Why had he gone here? How could he have been so stupid? It's not like B was going to talk to him, and even if he would, what was it he wanted to hear? L had never been one for impulsive actions, not thinking through every single thing he'd do and say, consider every possible answer he could get once he said something. But today, he had been more impulsive than the avarage shopping-addicted teenage girl who was placed in the biggest mall you can imagine. Far worse than one of them, even. He had only just been going through a few old files of old cases, when he came across one on the LABB Murder Case, and next thing he knew, he was here. It had been so stupid...

'What do you want?' Hearing the rasping, weak sound of Beyond's voice made L look up again. The younger man was staring straight at him now, his face mutilated by many burn scars, his scarlet gaze burning like flames, yet cold as ice. Seeing that hatred again made L have to fight the urge to look away again, flinching. Had the two not been friends once? No, that wasn't right. They had been _best_ friends, close as brothers, together with a third kid.

A. Alternative. Allan Loche. B had been closer to A than L had, though. But in the end, there wasn't much difference at all. When A had committed suicide, no longer able to bear the pressure of one day succeeding the great detective L -even though he knew L was barely three years older than he was at the time, still only just more than a kid himself- he had been heart-broken, just like B.

How stupid it had been, hiding his emotions even at that time, at A's funeral, and after it. How foolish. Because that was exactly the reason B had broken their close bond. He remembered it clearly, that night. It lay fresh in his memories, haunting him every time his mind trailed off to Wammy's House and B.

_'Don't you care?!' B asked, a nasty edge to his voice, trembling with rage as he stood in the doorway of L's room, after A's funeral. His eyes were pure venom, and if looks could kill, they would've had to prepare a place next to A now, on the graveyard of Wammy's House. A graveyard that was, thank goodness, still rather empty. Only when kids or staffmembers died, they went there. And that had happened only few rare times yet._

_L stared at the younger boy, as tears welled up in the latter's eyes. His face was expressionless as ever. He had never looked at B like this, though. Only when he had to work. Emotions were like a bullet in this line of work; they can get you killed before you even have the chance to see them coming. When he did not answer, a growl escaped B's mouth, and the boy gritted his teeth, folded his hands into fists and let out a sob._

_'He was our friend, L! Our __**best**__ friend, and he killed himself! Don't you care at all?!' He was yelling now. His words stabbed L like a knife, but yet, the young detective kept a straight face, and did not reply. B got the wrong idea from this, though. 'You __**don't care**__! You just don't care, that's it! You...you heartless...you...' His voice trailed off, turned into an uncontrolable fit of sobs. L was just about to open his mouth and say something, when the boy screamed: 'You know what? Forget that damned "friendship"! __**I hate you**__, you heartless monster!' Not a word more was said, not a single sound uttered, before he turned and ran to the dark hallway of the orphanage, slamming the door shut behind him, and left L all alone. His words kept echoing in L's head, and before he knew, the young teenager himself was crying, too._

_**I'm a monster**__..._

The memory made old emotions well up again, and L found his voice back. As an answer to Beyond's earlier question, he demanded: 'Why?' That was all. Just why, nothing else. But the tone said more than enough, filled the emptiness that should have been filled with more words, an explanation. It was just a question, yet a demand. It was worried, filled with regret and sadness, yet it flooded with anger and sheer disappointment. How one simple word could have such a strong meaning.

Beyond blinked at him. 'Why? You mean, the LABB Murders? Don't you know already, L? I did it to challenge you, to show you that you're _not _the best person on Earth, that you can't solve everything that's thrown at you. I just didn't see that Naomi bitch coming, that's all. The only reason I lost.'

How could he think of it as losing? As if it had been a game, nothing more! Throat tight, L answered: 'No, B. I wasn't talking about the case.'

'Then what?' The anger in Beyond's voice was like a knife to L, cutting open old wounds once again.

'Why did you...' No, that was the wrong way to ask. Just think of a good one, then. He took a deep breath, thought _Forget thinking, damnit!_, and raised his voice as he spoke again. 'Why in the world did you decide to just throw everything away?! You could've been so much, B, you could've done so many great things, if only you hadn't thrown your life away, like A did!'

'I am nothing like A! At least _I_ didn't decide to give up and leave, I_ took action!_' Beyond yelled back.

'_Nothing_ like A?! Then explain to me why you've spend three months in hospital after you _burned yourself!_' There were no walls anymore, and nothing held back, either. L didn't care anymore, so long as he would finally get answers. 'You tried to kill yourself, too! And don't come with the whole "it was necessary for the murders" thing! It was just as much a suicide attempt as A made, only he _succeeded!_'

'And I would've, too, had it not been for that FBI bitch you hired!' Beyond spat back. 'But so what? Don't you have new kids in that orphanage already, in line to become your _successor_.' He practically hissed that last word like a venomous snake, ready to poison L. 'So why would you still care?'

After that, it was silent in the room again, the two men stared at eachother with so many different emotions mixed in their eyes, it was almost unreadable. Even if they no longer used their voices now, they were still speaking to eachother, using only their eyes. And the thing that were being said were so much more than words could do. After a few minutes, that lasted like an eternity, they both looked down at the table.

And right then was it, that L remembered why he had wanted to come here. What it was he had wanted to say so badly, he had left his work behind without even bothering to sort the files out first, like he always did. 'It's because I miss you.' Those words seemed to echo through the room, before it was once again filled with silence. A silence that was soon broken by Beyond. The young man let a single sob slip, before biting his lip as though he was scolding himself for it. But L just got up, and went to stand beside the scarlet-eyed serial killer. What he did next, was something he hadn't thought about a sigle second.

Yet, he knew it was the right decision.

The way Beyond buried his face in L's hair was enough a sign that, had he been able to move, he would've returned the embrace without a moment of hesitation. More of those quiet, barely audible sobs escaped his lips, and he leaned in against his old friend as much as the chains allowed him.

'I'm so sorry...'

'Me, too.'

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**And that's it! I know it was short, but that's what one-shots are for, right?**

**Right.**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it!**


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